The Walking Dead

I was recently having a conversation with a fellow movie lover about the downfall of quality films lately. It seems movies just aren’t that good anymore. The box office slump as of late is proof we’re not the only ones who refuse to pay money to see crap flicks. What are the choices these days? There’s action films geared toward those suffering from attention deficit, the crude and unfunny comedies, or another remake of a much better film from the ‘80s. So in times these like these when there’s not much to see at the movies I’ve turned to cable tv series. The writing is superior, the acting is of higher quality, and the stories are just far more interesting! Hollywood had better take a good look at their box office receipts in comparison to the ratings of these cable shows and get with the program. Stop putting out garbage and work on being creative for once! Anyway---I’ve been a long time fan of shows like Dexter, True Blood, and recently Game of Thrones. My newest little obsession is AMC’s The Walking Dead. Being a horror fan, especially when it comes to zombies, I find this show to be such a treat to watch. It contains just the right amount of intensity and character development with plenty of gore as well. It’s not as vicious as films like 28 Days Later or even the original old school Night of the Living Dead, but it still works on many levels.

Originally based on the comic book of the same name (which I never read), The Walking Dead is simply about a plague of infected zombies (a.k.a "walkers") taking over the world leaving behind a few survivors who must band together and go on living. What drew me initially to this series were the walking corpses. I’ve been watching zombie films for years especially the ones directed by George Romero and Dan O’Bannon. “The Return of the Living Dead” tops my list of all time favorite living dead movies. I always found reanimated beings (or objects like dolls) more gruesome and terrifying than vampires or wolves or most any other horror creature. Something about the reanimation of a once alive, but now dead person running after me just gives me shivers. Yet it’s fun to watch at the same time. Frank Darabont who of course directed The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile uses his talent of directing human emotions to great use in this series. It’s not just about “walkers” invading and running past the living like a herd of vicious animals. It’s about how these people relate to each other and are being forced to inhabit the same space and form a life together. They also must form a new society in a way. It’s kind of like The Stand except all those dead people are still roaming around. So not only must they keep humanity going in a spiritual sense, but they must keep themselves alive so the entire population doesn’t completely die out. Without rules or some sort of guide it’s easy for people to turn on one another in order to save themselves. For the young kids who will quickly forget what it’s like to live in a zombie free existence it’s hardest on them to find real enjoyment and hope. Or maybe not since they barely remember what it was like to have normal humans walking around not trying to eat them all the time.

There’s a little twist involving those infected. They don’t need to get bitten in order to turn. They just need to die. So you could have a heart attack and next thing you know you’re trying to rip off your loved one’s face.  How’s that for messed up? I recently watched all thirteen episodes of season 2 in one weekend (due to reasons of my own) and thoroughly enjoyed each episode! The storyline picks up where Season 1 left off with a gang of members trying to find a new safe place to try and build some existence. Along the way they encounter more ruthless flesh eaters and even some not so trustworthy still breathing members of the human race. Most of all they still deal with every day life. There’s a sense of friendship, family, respect, and understanding. There’s also a lot of anger, resentment, bitterness, and jealousy. These few are forced to live together in a way they never imagined. All their dreams and former lives are altered forever. They’ve lost loved ones and left the life they knew behind. But the goal remains the same which is to keep on surviving for another day. One of the lead actors (Rick—played by real life Brit Andrew Lincoln) tells his son there is no way to stop death. He will die, his son will die. Every one will die eventually. All they can do is put it off and avoid it as long as possible. That’s all anyone can do even when there’s not vicious walkers outside the door. As long as that spirit of wanting to go on remains in tact there will always be a battle with whatever disease, destruction, or monster awaits to rob you of it. I think that’s the true essence of the show (and life) and what makes it so appealing to watch.

I won’t go into any storyline details or spoil it, but I think it’s one of the best shows on tv right now and just in time for the most wonderful season of all....Halloween! I think we all need a little scare in our lives to make sure we stay on the right track.